Six Reasons You Don't Know What You're Talking About

1.) People Assume Things Will Never Change

When I was 11 my teacher said, 'the Delaware river is so polluted it won't be long before we can walk across it.'

My teacher assumed that nothing would be done about pollution, things would just continue as they always had. 

My teacher did not take into account the growing public concern about pollution that resulted in the creation of the the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the enforcement of new laws to protect the environment. 

2.) People Do Not Consider All of the Potential Reasons Something Happened

When my mother heard of a burglary conducted in total darkness she said it took night vision goggles so soldiers must have done it.

My mom assumed that members of the military were the only ones with access to night vision

goggles. 

First, employees at the factory which manufactured the goggles had access.

Second, most military bases employ civilians who also have had access.

Third, both of these groups could sell these goggles to a pawn shop, who can sell the night vision equipment to anyone who walks in the door.

3.) People Assume Others Remember Everything They Ever Said

I once had a boss who questioned some of my processes. I explained that I was following the Vice President's orders; When she spoke to the VP, he denied he ever said that.

She assumed the VP remembered what he said three years ago. 

Since I received these directions three years earlier, I researched memory and retention and then met with my boss and her boss. 

I shared a Harvard Business Review article which explained in no uncertain terms that there is no way the VP could remember what he said three years ago. 

4.) People Assume If Things Should Happen They Will Happen

I recently went to a hospital and had a procedure. Prior to my hospital visit, I had to restrict my drinking.

My wife assumed the doctor's directions said exactly when I had to stop drinking. I said the doctor's directions did not provide a time. She said, that is not possible. I shared the directions and she saw how possible it was.

We all believe things should happen in a certain way, but things are never that way 100% of the time.

5.) People Assume If They Haven't Heard Otherwise, It must Be True

Job loss is hard for anyone. Too often we feel like we're the only one who is unemployed.

We make this assumption because we have no information telling us otherwise. While these feelings are understandable, they're not based on facts.

A quick trip to The Bureau of Labor and Statistics  reveals that, on average,  6 - 8 million Americans lose their job every quarter. The good news is a slightly higher number of Americans get new jobs each quarter. 

6.) People Assume One Person Knows All There is to Know About an Organization

When I was in college, I attended an extracurricular activity which promised to help me relax. The instructor said he was associated with the local hospital.

A fellow student called the hospital and asked the person he spoke with if she knew the instructor. 

Because that person didn't know the instructor, he assumed that the instructor had nothing to do with the hospital.

My friend assumed that the person who answered the phone knew about everyone who ever had anything to do with the hospital.

I have to admit, one of my favorite pastimes is examining the assumptions underlying everything I hear. Before you think I'm strange, consider every vignette you just read.

We all make assumption based on incomplete or faulty information.

My teacher assumed things would never change.

My mother assumed only one group would have access to special equipment.

My boss assumed someone would remember exactly what he said three years ago.

My wife assumed if something should happen it will happen. 

We assume if we haven't heard otherwise, then it must be true.

My friend assumed one person knew everyone who ever had anything to do with a hospital.

I hope you found this article of value and in the future you won't be quick to accept everything you hear.

Clark has had 65 years to learn a few things. During that time he also wrote

Job Hunting Secrets (from someone who's been there) and 

LinkedIn Strategies to Take Your Career to the Next Level

First Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Second Photo by OSPAN ALI  on Unsplash

Vernon Can Read...

 This is a book about one of the greatest humans I've ever known.

I probably chose to read it, because I've seen Vernon in the news throughout my life.

He never sought the limelight but he was a very capable man. Perhaps, I could relate to him.

He did amazing things for the oppressed.

His life in so many ways is best summarized by the many roles he performed:

• Chauffeur whose employer was surprised he could read
• Head of the United Negro College Fund
• Head of the NAACP
• Shot by a racist when he was seen with a white woman
• On the board of directors of many major corporations
• Advisor to President Clinton
• Partner at Lazard Freres, a large investment banking firm.

His mother, a very intelligent and very supportive woman, ran a catering business in Atlanta until she was 83. When he was younger, he frequently worked for her as a server.

More could certain be written about this wonderful book, but I wanted to capture my observations while the book was still fresh in my mind.

Vernon Can Read

Does Network News Really Explain the Full Story?

If you're like many people your knowledge is limited to the nightly news. 

While I enjoy watching NBC's Nightly News I've come to understand it's limits.

First, NBC is owned by Comcast, ABC is owned by Disney and CBS is owned by Paramount Global. The stockholders of these firms bought stock because they expect to profit from their investment. As a result, stories are created to attract and maintain your interest so you're still watching when the commercials come on. 

Second, Fear is a large part of many news stories. Author James Altucher, in his book, I Was Blind But Now I See, suggests that, the best thing you can do is avoid all news. Altucher has worked for over a dozen media companies, written for newspapers, TV shows and been a pundit on TV shows.

He told how he was backstage at a news show when the producer told him:

Don’t fool yourself – all of this is just filler in between advertisements.

Altucher shared this story,

Every week, a newsroom gets all of their best reporters and editors together on a Monday morning. Then the top guy says,“Ok, what have you got?” And the reporters have to respond with items that are designed to induce more and more terror. When the top guy thinks the terror is sufficient to beat out the competition, he says, “Ok, let’s go with it.”(I)

It's easy to see what Altucher is talking about when you read headlines like these:

How many jobs will AI replace?

Will your kids join the thousands who've died from fentanyl? 

Is your daughter joining ISIS?

Third, time is another issue. Since news shows are limited in the time they can devote to any story, we're frequently given sound bites that grab our attention but do little to explain what really happened. The Great Recession generated a lot of headlines, but it wasn't until I read former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's book, Stress Test, that I fully understood what happened.

***

Personal Note:  Da Vinci said, "The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding." I'm right there with him. I'm what you'd call a Current Events / History Nerd. I've always sought the full story. I've always sought to understand complex issues. This has helped me to understand what isn't being reported in the nightly news.

(I) Altucher, James. I Was Blind But Now I See. New York: CreateSpace. 2011. p. 35

The metaphor is probably the most fertile power possessed by man

The title of this post is a quote from Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset.

I am the happy owner of the book,

Metaphors Be With You: An A to Z Dictionary of History's Greatest Metaphorical Quotations

This gift to myself, written by Dr. Mardy Grothe has enriched my life. That's probably why I find myself constantly rereading it.

Dr. Grothe reminds us,

"Metaphor isn't just for poets; it's in ordinary language and is the principal way we have of conceptualizing abstract concepts like life, death, and time." 

Dr. Grothe shares the following definition of metaphor from the American Heritage Dictionary,

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in "a sea of troubles" or "All the world's a stage."

Sometimes words can be spartan, meaningless collections of letters, if you ever read some really bad writing, you'll know what I mean.

That's why I love reading these metaphors, like this one from German writer Berthold Auerbach:

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. 

One of my favorites is from Napoleon:

A leader is a dealer in hope.

French-American diarist and essayist, Anais Nin, speaks volumes in nine words about courage:

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.

Psychologist Terri Apter captures the essence of youth:

Adolescence is society's permission slip for combining physical maturity with psychological irresponsibility

Benjamin Disraeli catches the positive side of misfortune:

There is no education like adversity

Robert Louis Stevenson communicates what it is like to age in a way that this 65 year old can clearly understand:

And what would it be to grow old? For, after a certain distance, every step we take in life we find the ice growing thinner below our feet, and all around us and behind us we see our contemporaries going through.

Given these last three metaphors were for subjects beginning with the letter "A".  Just imagine how enjoyable the next 25 letters will be.

***

Images:

Piano - Photo by Geert Pieters on Unsplash

MLK - Photo by Unseen Histories on Unsplash

Man standing on dock - Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

Adolescents - Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Adversity - Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Aging - Photo by LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR on Unsplash

Staying Calm is a Tall Order - But it is possible...

 Proverbs 29:14a says,

A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body.

But in today's world it isn't easy. I've found that it requires a lot of conscious decisions. I say conscious because I've found I need to be conscious of everything I let into my life.

For example, I used to be on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, now I'm down to FB only. And when someone shares something upsetting on FB, I just unfollow them. (I remain connected but I don't see anything they posted. They're happy. I'm happy and all is well.)

During the week, I only watch TV between 6:30 and 8:00. On the weekend, it isn't much different.

I've come to understand why Alexander Pope said,

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.”

The other day, I was chatting with a co-worker who was upset with our managers.

I responded, at the end of the day, 65 years have taught me that there are few things worth getting upset about.

For me, it comes down to this:

Does my wife come home at the end of the day?

Do people drive on the right side of the road?

Does my paycheck clear?

If these things happen, I'm happy and I couldn't be happier.

These conscious decisions on how I am going to interact with my world have enabled me to live a calm life.

How about you?

What do you do to remain calm?

*****

Clark Finnical is the author of Job Hunting Secrets (from someone who’s been there) and LinkedIn Strategies to Take Your Career to the Next Level 

 

 

 

 

Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises

 Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises by former Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, is one of the most fascinating books I've read. (I've also listened to the audio version.)

Stress Test is one of those You Are There* books where you're taken beyond the headlines and invited to see what really happened.

The most memorable takeaway from this book is the actual stress test that Geithner applied to the largest banks in America. 

During the Great Recession we watched as global financial powerhouses seemed to be teetering on the edge of collapse.

It was an environment of fear. So much so that once Geithner spoke with the CEO of a top financial firm. After he hung up, he could tell that this man was clearly, obviously very afraid. So he called him back and told him not to speak with anyone. 

Ultimately what Geithner did was to get the staff in the Treasury department and Federal Reserve to examine the books of the major financial institutions of America.

This took some time, but once the work was done, he knew which banks could withstand future economic shocks, which might need some financial support and which were in such dire straits that the only way they could be saved is to be merged with a financially strong firm. E.g. Countryside Mortgage with BOA.

On page 349 of this 500+ page masterpiece, Geithner shares how he walked into the Oval Office and shared Daily Observations a publication of Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund and most credible source of private sector economic analysis.

The headline was "We Agree." "The Stress Test numbers and ours are nearly the same." "The regulators did an excellent job of explaining exactly what they did for this stress test, and showing the numbers that produced the results."

The ultimate test was whether private investors would invest new capital in banks. BOA's stock price was up 63% that week and Citi's 35%. Now nearly every financial indicator was heading the right way.

This was a horrible time for Americans, some more than others, yet it could have been a lot, lot worse.

When asked why Geithner had this job, it was said that unlike others, Geithner did not lose his head when the world seemed to be falling apart.

*You Are There

You Are There is a 1947–1957 American historical educational television and radio series broadcast over the CBS Radio and CBS Television networks. Created by Goodman Ace for CBS Radio, it blended history with modern technology, taking an entire network newsroom on a figurative time warp each week reporting the great events of the past.

About the Author

Timothy Geithner is an American former central banker who served as the 75th United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013. He was the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 2003 to 2009, following service in the Clinton administration. Since March 2014, he has served as president and managing director of Warburg Pincus, a private equity firm headquartered in New York City.

As President of the New York Fed and Secretary of the Treasury, Geithner had a key role in government efforts to recover from the financial crisis of 2007–08 and the Great Recession. At the New York Fed, Geithner helped manage crises involving Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and the American International Group; as Treasury Secretary, he oversaw allocation of $350 billion under the Troubled Asset Relief Program, enacted during the previous administration in response to the subprime mortgage crisis. Geithner also managed the administration's efforts to restructure regulation of the nation's financial system, attempts to spur recovery of the mortgage market and the automobile industry, demands for protectionism, tax reform, and negotiations with foreign governments on global finance issues. ~ Wikipedia

Signing Their Lives Away, The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence - Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese

The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence is a wonderful book written by Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese.

Here are some of the takeaways:

Most of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence are unknown. 

Some of the signers bankrolled George Washington's army and the new government. 

Benjamin Franklin provided the income from his new job as Postmaster General and 3000 pounds in savings.

Every time Washington needed cash Robert "Morris [of Pennsylvania] managed to find it, even if it came from his own savings. It is said that Morris gave as much as $1 million of his own money to fund the Yorktown campaign alone." The poor man later ended up in debtors prison when a real estate deal went south. When Washington offered him the Treasury Secretary job, he declined saying Hamilton would be a better choice. Washington never forgot everything Morris did, frequently dining with him in Debtors prison.

Carter Braxton of Virginia helped the American cause throughout the war, lending "25,000 pounds to the government." Money with which, he was never repaid.

George Taylor of Pennsylvania started out as an Indentured Servant. After his master died, he married the widow and became the master.

Benjamin Rush of Pennsylvania actually dreamt that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson reconciled. As a result of his letters where he acted as a mediator, he was ultimately credited with restoring the friendship of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.

After his first two wives died, William Paca of Maryland had a child out of wedlock with a free black woman. He publicly acknowledged the child and sent her to the finest schools.

Benjamin Harrison V of Virginia, the forefather of two future presidents, William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison, also signed the declaration.

When a friend defaulted on a loan Thomas Jefferson was forced to declare bankruptcy. This led him to sell his entire library to the government and that was the start of the Library of Congress.

George Wythe of Virginia was fatally poisoned by his sister's grandson.

Thomas Lynch Jr. of South Carolina and his wife died when a storm hit the ship they were taking to Europe.

Thomas Heyward, Jr., Edward Rutledge and Arthur Middleton of South Carolina were imprisoned in St. Augustine from 1780 to 1781.

About the authors

Denise Kiernan is an author, journalist, producer, and host of “CRAFT: Authors in Conversation.” Her new young reader’s book, "We Gather Together: Stories of Thanksgiving" from then to now, arrives September 2023, and is a companion title to the popular adult nonfiction book, "We GatherTogether," and children’s picture book, "Giving Thanks." Her titles "The Last Castle" and "The Girls of Atomic City" were both instant New York Times bestsellers in both hardcover and paperback. "The Last Castle" was also a Wall Street Journal bestseller, a finalist for the 2018 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. "The Girls of Atomic City" was also a Los Angeles Times and NPR bestseller, was named one of Amazon's “Top 100 Best Books of 2013,” and is now available in multiple languages. It was also awarded the 2014 American Political Science Association's Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award for the best book published in the United States on government, politics, or international affairs. 

Kiernan has also co-authored several popular history titles including "Signing Their Lives Away," "Signing Their Rights Away," and "Stuff Every American Should Know." She has been published in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Village Voice, Time, Ms. Magazine, Reader's Digest, Discover and many more publications. She has also worked in television, serving as head writer for ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" during its Emmy award-winning first season and has produced for media outlets such as ESPN and MSNBC.Throughout her career, Kiernan has been a featured guest on many radio and television shows, including NPR's "Weekend Edition," PBS NewsHour, MSNBC Morning Joe and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. She lives in North Carolina.

You can follow her work at www.denisekiernan.com

Joseph D’Agnese is a journalist and author who has written for children and adults alike. He’s been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Wired, Discover, and other national publications.

In a career spanning more than twenty years, his work has been honored with awards in three vastly different areas—science journalism, children’s literature, and mystery fiction.

His science articles have twice appeared in the anthology Best American Science Writing. 

His children’s book, Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci, was an honoree for the Mathical Book Prize—the first-ever prize for math-themed children’s books.

One of his crime stories won the 2015 Derringer Award for short mystery fiction. Another of his stories was selected by mega-bestselling author James Patterson for inclusion in the prestigious annual anthology, Best American Mystery Stories 2015.

D’Agnese’s crime fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and many others.

D’Agnese lives in North Carolina with his wife, the New York Times bestselling author Denise Kiernan (The Girls of Atomic City).